Bular
Bular the Vicious was a major antagonist of Trollhunters, serving as the main antagonist in the first half of Part One (posthumous in the second half) and a one-time alternate reality antagonist featured in the Part Two episode "Unbecoming". He was the second-in-command of the Gumm-Gumms and the son of Gunmar. Official Description "Impulsive and explosive, Bular is the last of his tribe, hiding in the shadows of the human world. His warlord father Gunmar has been imprisoned within the Darklands for centuries. It kills Bular that he must take orders from Strickler, a lowly, second-class Changeling. He wants nothing more than to destroy the Trollhunter and free Gunmar and his army, proving his worth to his estranged father." History Backstory During the Battle of Killahead Bridge, Deya the Deliverer exiled Bular's father, Gunmar, and the rest of his army into the Darklands. Bular managed to avoid exile and remained roaming the human world, trying to steal the Amulet of Daylight and rebuild the Killahead Bridge to free his father. Trollhunters (Part One) Hunting the Amulet Bular first appears in "Becoming: Part 1" when he duels Kanjigar at sunrise under a bridge in Arcadia. Although he manages to disarm the veteran Trollhunter and wound him by forcing him into the sun's rays, his plans to acquire the amulet are thwarted when Kanjigar sacrifices himself and leaves the amulet in sunlight where it cannot be reached. Encountering Jim Following Jim Lake's successful audition for the part of Romeo, Bular ambushes Jim and Toby on the streets of Arcadia Oaks. The Gumm-Gumm attempts to smash the pair and hurls a truck at them, but they evade him on their bicycles by squeezing behind a building where he cannot fit. Bular then attacks the two after they meet up with Blinky and AAARRRGGHH!!!, chasing the foursome back to the canal where Kanjigar fell. Unfortunately for the son of Gunmar, Blinky and AAARRRGGHH!!! managed to secret the duo into Heartstone Trollmarket, where he could not follow. After his failure to retrieve the amulet, Bular was sharply rebuked by Stricklander, who had come to Jim's house. Bular desired to break open the Lake house and kill Jim on the spot, to which Stricklander argued would draw unnecessary attention and risk exposing their agenda to both humans and trolls. Grudgingly, Bular accepted Stricklander's advice to adapt and wait for another opportunity, though the Changeling was forced to push Bular out of the way before Jim could spot them. Building the Killahead Bridge Following the escape of Jim with the Amulet, Bular and Strickler changed tactics and began building the Killahead Bridge so that it would be ready when the Amulet was acquired. Bular was annoyed with the slow pace of the work and suspicious of Strickler's plan to build it in a human museum, but praised the bridge as the dawn of "The Age of Gunmar." As more pieces arrived, Bular secured the construction site, chasing down and presumably eating a hapless security guard. Bular later attempted to execute Nomura for allowing Jim and Toby to discover the Killhead Bridge. However, he relented when she presented him with a Fetch. Figuring his father's army will require one more Changeling if they fall short, Bular spared her life so as to spite Strickler. After disassembling the bridge before Jim could show it to Vendel and reassembled it back in the museum, Strickler informed Bular of Gladys Groe's demise. The Gumm-Gumm prince offhandedly dismissed her as expendable, given that she already got the stones from Madagascar, and disregarded Strickler's advice to at least care for those in his employ, stating that once his father is free, he'll destroy the Trollhunter. Suddenly, a stone with trollish inscription appeared through the Fetch, confirming that Enrique Nuñez had been chosen to be swapped with his Changeling counterpart. On Jim's birthday, an impatient Bular refused to wait for the Trollhunter to stumble onto the bridge again and thus decided to summon a Stalkling. Strickler subsequently learned of this undertaking and confronted Bular at a mine, reminding that this violated their agreement to avoid killing Jim least it caused unwanted scrutiny. Bular reasoned that the Stalkling would wait until Jim was alone to strike. However, he underestimated Jim once again, who managed to kill the Stalkling. Eventually, Otto Scaarbach brought the Eyestone, allowing Bular and his henchmen to talk with Gunmar. Bular interrupted Strickler's attempt to stroke Gunmar's ego and told his father of the new human Trollhunter and how Strickler prevented him from killing Jim and taking the amulet from him. They got into a brief argument before an irritated Gunmar interrupted them. The Gumm-Gumm king acknowledged that Strickler was correct to spare Jim, least their enemies discover their plan. Furthermore, he declared that Bular shall be giving the orders, to the latter's smug delight. Bular then spoke privately with his father, who noted that Strickler had grown soft. Bular explained that in his human guise, Strickler was Jim's teacher and thus he suspected the Changeling possessed affection for the child. Thus, Gunmar suggested Bular test Stricker's loyalty. Opportunity came knocking when Jim ventured into the sewers, challenging Bular to a duel, which the Gumm-Gumm prince was happy to oblige. Spotting a Grit-Shaka around his neck, Bular immediately guessed why the Trollhunter was so eager to challenge him. Due to the Gumm-Gumm totem negatively influencing him, Jim proved arrogant in the ensuing duel before Bular crushed the totem under his heel. As Jim cowered in fear, Bular attempted to pounce at him, only for Toby to pull off a manhole cover up top, exposing sunlight that forced Bular back. As he stalked around Jim, Blinky and AAARRRGGHH!!! appeared to help him only for a goblin to kick off another manhole cover, keeping them at bay. Bular then subtly revealed Stricker's identity as a Changeling by calling Jim, "Young Atlas", which was Strickler's nickname for him. Jim then escaped, which was just what Bular had planned. Strickler was less than happy to learn of what Bular did until Gunmar stated it was all to force a confrontation, in which Strickler would kill Jim and take the amulet. Being sporting, Bular told Strickler he was to kill Jim if he couldn't get the boy to hand over the amulet. The Battle for the Killahead Bridge Strickler managed to succeed in his task, managing to swap the amulet for a fake. Desiring the honor for himself, Bular then took the amulet and inserted into the bridge only for it to fail. Strickler took a closer look at the inscription on the amulet and told Bular that only the Trollhunter can open the bridge, so he sent Nomura after Jim. However, Jim was able to summon the amulet back him while fighting goblins and Nomura was unable to capture him. Fortuitously, NotEnrique delivered Blinky right into Bular's waiting arms and thus the villains sought to use him as a hostage to force Jim to open the bridge. But just before Jim could insert the amulet, everyone hears a beeping sound and Nomura announces that the Trollhunter was wearing a Chubby Tracker, which was the same device that led Jim to the bridge the first time. Toby, Draal and AAARRRGGHH!!! then show up and a battle ensues. Bular briefly clashed swords with Jim before grappling with Draal, who identified himself as Kanjigar's son. Bular nearly overpowered Draal before engaging AAARRRGGHH!!! and taunted his father's former general, calling him a pet. At the height of the battle, Strickler manages to open the bridge, at which Bular heard Gunmar calling out to him. But he soon disengaged in an attempt to stop Draal from pulling out the amulet, resulting in the bridge being destroyed. Bular emerged from the rubble and attempted to call out to his father before pursuing the Trollhunters through the sewers. Bular confronts Jim in their final battle under the same bridge where he fought Kanjigar. They traded blows for a while before Jim slipped beneath Bular's blindspot. Seeking to draw his foe out, Bular guessed that Jim wanted Enrique back. He then caught Jim attempting to attack him from behind. Though reminded that the bridge would never open without him, Bular stated he'll just use another Trollhunter. But then Jim summoned his sword to his free hand cut Bular, forcing him to release the boy. The Trollhunter then sympathized with Bular's desire to see his father once more, but stated they don't always get what they desire. Enraged, Bular attacked Jim again, forcing the boy to seek the safety of daylight. Standing over the Trollhunter as the latter stabbed his sword into the side of the bridge, Bular mocked that he assumed Jim's death would more entertaining that Kanjigar's. Catching Jim before he could fall, Bular pressed him against a wall, stating that the amulet should never have chosen a human. Ultimate Demise As Jim's friends wash up in the shadow of the bridge, Bular taunted they're going to watch their Trollhunter slain. Jim reminded he was no troll and removed his armor, enabling to slip out of Bular's grasp before stabbing him through with the Sword of Daylight, causing him to fall off into the sunlight and petrifies as he falls into the water. However, Bular was far from finished. Even as he turns to stone, Bular ascended the bridge, catching the Trollhunters by surprise, only to be punched and shattered to pieces by AAARRRGGHH!!! before he could crush Toby. Aftermath Even after his defeat at the hands of Jim and AAARRRGGHH!!!, Bular has been mentioned several times throughout the second half of Part One, which begins Angor Rot's story arc. In "Where Is My Mind?", Bular appears in Strickler's hallucination caused by a pixie, which shows that Strickler has secretly feared Bular. "Bular" then demands the changeling to remove the Inferna Copula, until Strickler sees through his delusion and confronts Angor. Around "Something Rotten This Way Comes", Jim learns from Gnome Chompsky that Gunmar knows that he killed son and wishes to kill everyone close to him as an act of revenge. Trollhunters (Part Two) "Return" in an Alternate Reality Bular makes a brief return in the episode "Unbecoming", in which Jim is given a second chance to live his life without ever having found the amulet. In this universe, he ends up winning the battle and freeing his father. Physical Appearance Bular is a large Gumm-Gumm Troll with black skin, yellow and orange eyes, and a set of horns which curl around his face (the right horn end chipped off after his fight with AAARRRGGHH!!! during the first Battle of Killahead Bridge). In "Young Atlas", he gains a small scar under his left eye after getting cut by Jim's sword. He wears a kilt with a wide belt, decorated with skulls, and two belts across his chest, which hold his swords. He also has a leather wrap on his right arm, and what appears to be hair on the back of his head. Personality Bular is monstrously arrogant and cruel to friend and foe alike. He is quick to anger and quick to act and enjoys lording himself over his subordinates. Like many trolls, Bular is dismissive of changelings, seeing them as fodder or cheap labor to further his plans. Bular is devoted to his father, Gunmar, and will stop at nothing to bring him back to the surface world. He is also extremely impulsive and impatient, something Gunmar himself has admitted. In many ways, Bular can be considered an evil version of Draal; both are arrogant, dismissive of those that they consider weaker than themselves, and rash. They both also wish to live up to their fathers' expectations of them. However, unlike Draal, Bular never learns humility and the value of true friendship, which leads to him dying alone against the might of Jim and his friends. Powers & Abilities Powers *'Gumm-Gumm Troll Physiology': Bular was much stronger and endurable than a human and even the average troll. **'Superhuman Strength': Bular was strong enough to easily toss a truck aside and burst through a sewer cover. **'Superhuman Endurance': As a troll, Bular could endure more than an average human. ***'Superhuman Durability': Thanks to his thick stone skin, Bular was more resistant to most blows. ***'Superhuman Stamina': Bular could physically exert himself for long periods of time without tiring. **'Enhanced Speed': Despite his bulky build, Bular was able to move much faster than an ordinary human on foot. ***'Superhuman Reflexes': Bular possesses enhanced reflexes, which aided him in his swordsmanship. **'Superhuman Senses': As a troll, Bular's senses are much more acute than an average human. **'Semi-Immortality': As a troll, Bular was capable of living for hundreds of years, but can still fall in battle. Abilities *'Swordsmanship': Bular was an excellent swordsman, capable of taking on a fully fledged Trollhunter, Kanjigar, and defeating/disarming him. Blinky himself even claims that Bular was a formidable opponent. He specialized in ambushing his prey and using powerful strikes and crushing grips to overwhelm them. He was equally proficient with one or both of his twin swords. Weaknesses *'Direct Sunlight': Like all trolls, Bular was highly vulnerable to sunlight as it can burn and turn him to stone. *'The Sword of Daylight': Unlike his father, Gunmar, Bular is capable of being killed by the Trollhunter's signiture sword. Equipment * Twin Swords: Bular's twin swords are his weapons of choice, which he uses to defeat Kanjigar and later fight Jim on multiple occasions. Bular also uses his weapons to intimidate and threaten, as seen when he menaces Strickler for arguing with him and when he attempts to coerce Jim into giving up the amulet. Bular's weapons are stowed in sheaths on his back when not in use, and it is assumed that they were destroyed when he was killed by Jim and AAARRRGGHH!!! Relationships Gunmar As the son of Gunmar, Bular deeply loves his father and respects him. He would do anything to get his father out of the Darklands. Stricklander Strickler is Bular's former second-in-command. They are instantly shown to have a clashing relationship, as they fight over what to do with Jim (as Strickler proposes to keep him alive and unaware of their intentions while Bular wants to kill him and take his amulet to open the Killahead Bridge). However, as revealed in "Where Is My Mind?", Strickler deeply fears Bular. Kanjigar the Courageous Kanjigar was the Trollhunter before Jim and was both his and his father's main rival to stop their plans. Kanjigar sacrificed his own life to keep Bular's hand away from the Amulet of Daylight. Draal the Deadly Draal despises Bular, especially after he made his father, Kanjigar, sacrifice himself to protect the Amulet of Daylight from Bular. In "The Battle of Two Bridges", the two engaged in a brief and intense battle in the museum. After Bular is finally killed by Jim, Draal was relieved that his father has been avenged. Jim Lake Jr. Bular was Jim's main enemy in the first half of Part One. Bular has developed a grudging respect for Jim, but instantly wanted to kill him and take the amulet, until he realizes that he needs the boy to open the bridge. However, he went back to wanting to kill him after the bridge is destroyed again, saying that there'll always be other Trollhunters for the amulet to chose. AAARRRGGHH!!! As the former General of the Gumm-Gumm army, AAARRRGGHH!!! and Bular seem to have had some history together. After AAARRRGGHH!!!'s defection from Gunmar and the Gumm-Gumm army, AAARRRGGHH!!! provided the Good Trolls the information they needed to seal Gunmar in the Darklands for as long as possible. After trying to kill his Wingman, Toby, AAARRRGGHH!!!, out of protective rage destroyed Bular to protect Toby. Quotes Episode Appearances Trivia * In an interview, voice actor Ron Perlman described Bular as "being pissed off all the time." Ron Perlman Roundtable | NYCC 2016 * Bular's merchandise is branded as "Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia" even though that's the name of Parts Two and Three and he was killed in Part One. This seems to be some renaming of the series since all existing merchandise is from Part One and nothing has been announced for new characters of Part Two. * Bular's arm turns to stone in the first episode, leaving him with that handicap for the duration of his future appearances set in the present main reality. This is most likely a homage to Ron Pearlman's previous role as the character Hellboy, who also had a stone arm. Gallery References Category:Characters Category:Trollhunters Characters Category:Villains Category:Males Category:Trolls Category:Deceased Category:Gumm-Gumms